Labour-Linked Thinktank Offers Paid Access to Senior Policymakers

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A thinktank aligned with Labour is offering corporate sponsorship packages that include private events with senior party figures, raising questions about transparency and lobbying oversight.

The Labour Infrastructure Forum (LIF), a policy-focused group launched in 2024, is selling tiered sponsorship packages priced between £7,850 and £30,000. These packages offer businesses the chance to attend private roundtables, parliamentary panels, and exclusive receptions with Labour politicians, including ministers and key advisers.

While LIF presents itself as an independent organisation dedicated to promoting infrastructure investment, it has close ties to Labour and features events with senior government figures. Despite these links, the group operates outside formal lobbying regulations and is not required to publish its list of corporate sponsors. Revenue generated from these packages is reportedly used to fund the forum’s activities.

Details of the sponsorship scheme reveal that access to a single private roundtable is priced at £7,850, with more comprehensive packages involving parliamentary panel events and receptions costing up to £30,000. According to the forum’s materials, the packages offer “high-level networking opportunities” and “engagement with key policymakers.” The forum insists that it is not officially part of the Labour Party, and that all activities are accounted for transparently in annual reports.

However, concerns have been raised over LIF’s connection to Bradshaw Advisory, a lobbying firm known for arranging meetings between clients and government officials. One client reportedly attended a meeting with the Business Secretary at the Labour Party conference, which did not appear in official transparency records.

Labour has denied any formal affiliation with the thinktank, stating that it complies fully with rules on donations and transparency. A party spokesperson said that any meetings held in a political capacity are declared appropriately and insisted that corporate sponsorships of thinktank events do not influence policy decisions.

Nevertheless, the arrangement has prompted scrutiny. Critics argue the model enables private interests to gain privileged access to decision-makers while avoiding the oversight required of registered lobbyists. Campaigners have called for reforms to tighten lobbying rules and ensure greater transparency around corporate involvement in policymaking.

The episode highlights broader concerns about the role of privately funded thinktanks and the lack of regulation governing how they interact with political figures. With Labour now in government, the relationship between policy groups and party officials is drawing increasing attention.